Coronavirus (Covid 19) – Update

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Due to the ongoing Coronavirus Covid-19 situation all staff at the Barnet UNISON Branch office are working from home in line with the Government’s instruction.

If you are a member seeking advice or support from UNISON the quickest way to receive a response is to email us at contactus@barnetunison.org.uk, if at all possible. Alternatively you can call 020 8359 2088, if we are unable to answer the telephone please leave a message speaking slowly and clearly please include your name, telephone number, membership number and a brief message about the assistance you require. We will respond as soon as we can.

Alternatively you can contact UNISON Direct Call Centre by telephone 

08000 857 857 Monday – Friday 6am – Midnight, Saturday 9am – 4pm

or make an online enquiry by clicking the following link

https://www.unison.org.uk/get-help/online-enquiries/

To Join UNISON click the following link 

https://join.unison.org.uk/

“All you need to know and more about the Capita contracts with Barnet Council.”

Austerity, COVID 19, Local, Report, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

Guest Speaker: Barnet Blogger Mr Reasonable  

Tuesday 30 November 7- 8 pm

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83430400093?pwd=SVcwRTF4Y0Z5bG11NG9PWFZNeVNRZz09

Meeting ID: 834 3040 0093

Passcode: 177260

Background information:

Barnet Council awarded Capita two ten-year contracts in 2013

Barnet Council are reviewing both of their Capita contracts which were due to expire in 2023 ten years after they were awarded details of the progress of the review https://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s68820/FPC%20Contracts%20Review%20Report.pdf

The Capita contracts have been subject to widespread concern from the local community and trade unions.

Two local films were made and screened at the local Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley with introductions from Ken Loach.

A Tale of Two Barnets: https://youtu.be/b3Z6Llu1tks

A Billion Pound Gamble https://youtu.be/rpoTSAV5efQ

Council under fire over contractor’s £2m fraud

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-45641513

Is this the end of Capita in Barnet – Grant Thornton’s report is a devastating critique of Capita’s dismal performance.

https://reasonablenewbarnet.blogspot.com/2018/09/is-this-end-of-capita-in-barnet-grant.html

Barnet UNISON call-out for people to give evidence at the #KickOutCapita Inquiry in House of Commons.

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2018/10/25/barnet-unison-call-out-for-people-to-give-evidence-at-the-kickoutcapita-inquiry/

 

Capita to pay more than £4m compensation to Barnet Council over contracts performance

https://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Public-Sector-News/capita-to-pay-more-than-4m-compensation-to-barnet-council-over-contracts-performance-

Just what we pay Capita – How they billed £555 million to one council

http://reasonablenewbarnet.blogspot.com/2021/09/just-what-we-pay-capita-how-they-billed.html

Man working for Capita in Darlington carried out £70,000 fraud

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/18222301.man-working-capita-darlington-carried-70-000-fraud/

, ,

Pay, Workload and Anti Casualisation claim to Barnet & Southgate College

Anti - Racism, Austerity, COVID 19, Health and Safety, News, UNISON Campaign
Barnet UNISON: Barnet and Southgate College. 
Local Claim: Pay, Workload, Anti-casualisation

The attached three-point claim is submitted on behalf of business support staff employed at Barnet and Southgate College.

This claim relates to issues of concern to UNISON members in Barnet and Southgate College and UNISON is seeking to reach a collective agreement with Barnet and Southgate College management.

UNISON seeks College agreement on measures related to:

 

  1. Pay 2020/21 and 2021/22
  • Implement a significant percentage consolidated increase on all salary scales backdated to 01 August 2020 that represents a significant move towards the full restoration of college pay levels to where they would have been had the college pay kept pace with inflation since 2009.
  • UNISON demand; for the academic year
    • 2020/21, an additional 4% pay increment backdated to 01 August 2020.
    • 2021/22, a 5% pay increment backdated to 01 August 2021.
  • London Weighting allowance to be set at no less than £2,350 per annum.

 

  1. Workload

UNISON demand

  • the expedited resolution and implementation of agreed strategies and actions to demonstratively reduce staff workload, which have been collectively devised in the current workload committee.
  • the Risk/Impact Assessment of all new as well as changes to work practices.
  • a radical change to systems, structures and processes to reduce repetitive and duplication of administrative duties.
  • The completion and agreement of a College Stress Policy and staff survey.

 

  1. Anti-casualisation

UNISON demands that all staff who work for the college for over two years on a causal or fixed term contract are automatically converted to permanent fractional business support contracts, on a commensurate payscale.

Provision of specific facilities time

 

Undertaking effective negotiations concerning this claim will require a time commitment from UNISON representatives beyond their normal duties and responsibilities.

The claim therefore includes a call for agreement on a specific allocation of paid time for UNISON branch negotiators to participate fully in the negotiation process on behalf of the staff they represent.

UNISON Barnet and Southgate branch submits this claim as a matter for negotiation. This is a matter pertaining to the terms and conditions of business support staff at Barnet and Southgate.  As such, we seek negotiations between representatives of the UNISON and College management alone.

We seek to conclude negotiations in a reasonable timescale with the objective of reaching agreement in time for implementation of an agreement in December 2021.

 

Implementation, monitoring and review

The provisions of any agreement should be disseminated in a manner that provides for uniform application across the College.

Managers should be provided with full relevant training on the provisions of any agreement. The terms of any agreement shall be reviewed jointly after 12 months.

UNISON Barnet and Southgate branch looks forward to negotiating with a view to reaching agreement on the matters contained within the above claim.

Christalla Tsattala – UNISON Senior Steward/Convenor

John Burgess – UNISON Barnet Branch Secretary

Tuesday 16 November 2021

 

 

93 care workers sacked during a national shortage of care workers

Anti - Racism, ASSIST, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Care & Support, COVID 19, Health and Safety, Housing, Local, Report, Solidarity, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet

What does it say about our society when 93 care workers are sacked and barely a mention is made in the media or by politicians?

This week consultation closed on the decision to sack 93 care workers.

Barnet UNISON has submitted our report into the shocking sacking of 93 care workers in what has been a shameful consultation.

To understand our anger and sadness at what has happened I encourage readers to read our report which is online here  or Barnet UNISON Response to Apthorp Consultation 22.10.21 FINAL

 

“Throughout the negotiation it emerged that the decision to vacate Apthorp had been taken by Barnet Council with no consultation with any other stakeholder other than Your Choice Barnet (YCB). The rationale for this has been stated over and over but the information underpinning this decision has been withheld. This has limited the trade union engagement to one of simply negotiating the redundancies rather than avoiding them. Consequently we have unanswered questions and we dispute the view that this discussion is not relevant to the trade unions.

The decisions around Apthorp directly affect the staff who are trade union members. Furthermore there is the potential for a significant knock-on effect in terms of the budget. As a result Barnet UNISON has been denied the opportunity to consider alternatives which may have ended up being less costly both on a financial and a humane level than the only option presented.” (An extract from the report)

 

What is deeply troubling is that this happened in the week of the CQC report “The State of Care”

https://www.cqc.org.uk/publications/major-report/state-care

Some of the headlines in the report are below.

  • “The Care Quality Commission (CQC) says health and care staff are “exhausted and depleted” and working under intense levels of pressure.
  • Urgent action is needed to stop a “tsunami of unmet need” rippling across essential services this winter, the care regulator has warned.
  • Desperately needed social care staff are quitting their jobs to work in the tourism and hospitality sector because they are ‘burnt out’, the sector has warned.
  • Exhausted staff are leaving the key worker roles to fill shortages in other sectors, as pubs and restaurants struggle to find enough staff.

https://www.itv.com/news/2021-10-22/burnt-out-and-exhausted-social-care-staff-quit-to-fill-hospitality-shortage

 

“We have Covid infection levels increasing daily, an overworked and under resourced NHS staff, a deliberate lack of action/leadership by this government and lack of leadership from the political opposition in Parliament and a negligent national media, it looks like we are sleep walking into a health and social care crisis of biblical proportions. We will continue to do what we always do for Barnet UNISON members which is providing public support and standing side by side with them whatever is happening to them.”

(John Burgess, Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON.)

 

End:

 

Background to the Save Apthorp campaign 

1.Update: 93 Covid heroes face the sack

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2021/08/23/80-covid-heroes-face-the-sack/

2. Barnet UNISON request the right to speak on behalf of 93 Covid Heroes

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2021/08/26/barnet-unison-request-the-right-to-speak-on-behalf-of-93-covid-heroes/

3. What happened to the 11 Barnet Council Care Homes and day centres in 1999?

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2021/08/26/what-happened-to-the-11-barnet-council-care-homes-and-day-centres-in-1999/

4. What is going on, just who owns Apthorp care home?

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2021/09/03/what-is-going-on-just-who-owns-apthorp-care-home/

5. Update on Apthorp consultation: Save Apthorp

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2021/09/03/update-on-apthorp-consultation-save-apthorp/

6. Join our We Are Barnet Save Apthorp lobby in person and online

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2021/09/08/join-our-we-are-barnet-save-apthorp-lobby-in-person-and-online/

7. A Tale of Two Priorities

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2021/09/09/a-tale-of-two-priorities/

8. Is Apthorp care setting closing or not?

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2021/09/09/is-apthorp-care-setting-closing-or-not/

9.Going, going gone, sold to…….what is going on at Apthorp?

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2021/09/27/going-going-gone-sold-to-what-is-going-on-at-apthorp/

End.

 

 

National Pay, Unified Reward, We Are Barnet “levelling up” negotiations 2 November update

Anti - Racism, ASSIST, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Health and Safety, Housing, Libraries, Local, News, Pensions, Repairs, Schools, Solidarity, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign

Tuesday 2 November 6- 7 pm

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81712515827?pwd=dituZHZRSWE5VW9ETDdkb0QwWTVFdz09

Meeting ID: 817 1251 5827

Passcode: 641084

This is an important meeting for all our members working for Barnet Council and The Barnet Group.

We will be discussing the following:

  • Update on the negotiations on Pay & Terms & Conditions and Pension with The Barnet Group.
  • What do Barnet UNISON Council workers want to put onto the negotiating table with Barnet Council?
  • An update on the National Strike ballot on Pay

If you have any questions please email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk or ring 0208 359 2088

End.

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